Apple today issued a statement on the recent hack and release of celebrity photos, saying that that the recent theft was not a result of a widespread breach of its systems but was instead due to a "very targeted attack" on individual accounts.

"After more than 40 hours of investigation, we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet. None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple?s systems including iCloud or Find my iPhone. We are continuing to work with law enforcement to help identify the criminals involved," Apple said.

Apple is working to quiet a firestorm about the hacked celebrity accounts, with nude photos of actress Jennifer Lawrence and others surfacing over the last few days on the Internet, allegedly obtained by hackers who used the company?s iCloud service to illegally access files. The reports threatened to mar Apple?s event on Sept. 9, where the company is set to unveil new iPhones, a wearable device and a mobile-payments system, according to reports.